Final answer:
Cranial nerve XI is not the optic nerve; it is the spinal accessory nerve, while the optic nerve is cranial nerve II. Moreover, the facial nerve, or CN VII, contains preganglionic parasympathetic fibers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that cranial nerve XI is called the optic nerve is false. Instead, cranial nerve XI is known as the spinal accessory nerve and is primarily a motor nerve involved in controlling muscles used in head movement and shrugging the shoulders. The optic nerve is actually cranial nerve II, commonly referred to as CN II, and it is a purely sensory nerve responsible for transmitting visual information from the retina to the brain.
Regarding the second part of the student's question about which cranial nerve contains preganglionic parasympathetic fibers, the correct answer is the facial nerve, or CN VII. The facial nerve is involved in controlling the muscles responsible for facial expressions, as well as conveying gustatory (taste) sensations, and it does carry preganglionic parasympathetic fibers that innervate salivary and lacrimal glands.